This morning on the way to school...
Ellie: 'Mummy what's a tomahto?'
Me: 'A tomato'
Ellie: 'No, no Mummy a tomahto?'
Me: 'There are some words that we English pronounce differently to the Americans and tomato is one of them.' At which point I then begin a tuneless rendition of "You like potato and I like potahto, You like tomato and I like tomahto Potato, potahto, Tomato, tomahto, Let's call the whole thing off"
Ellie: 'Mummy STOP singing and listen to me...a tomahto is a dangerous storm...
The penny dropped.
Me: Do you mean a Tornado?
Ellie: Yes! Yes! A Tornato. Mummy they are very dangerous and if one is coming you must go into a room with no windows and close the door and stay there until it's gone. At school we have to go into the boys toilets but where will you go if you are at home?
Me: Errrr, the wardrobe?
Ellie: No! You must go into the downstairs toilet, the one with no windows. Actually there's two of those because I have checked so you'll be OK. Promise me you'll go in one of those if a Tornato is coming.
Me: OK Ellie, I promise.
There ended my Tornado drill from my 5 year old daughter. I will admit that Tornado's were not high on my danger awareness list for here. Having done some research I see that we're not in any hot-spot but at least we all know the drill now!
Wednesday 28 October 2009
Monday 26 October 2009
Pardon? How Much?
Not alot seems to run smoothly in our lives does it?!
A week or so ago I took a short trip back to England for a few days. I had a new nephew to meet and a good friends Hen weekend to celebrate.
A few days before I left Ian, who had been diligently watching the air fare prices announced he'd booked my ticket and handed me all the confirmation paperwork for my trip. Raleigh Durham - Newark - Birmingham and back. I was all set.
On departure day I was all packed and ready, we picked up Luke from nursery and headed to the airport. I went to check-in and presented my ticket and documents and the girl at the desk starting tapping away at her computer. She tapped and she tapped whilst all those checking in around me came and went. I began to have that sinking feeling.
Me: 'Is there a problem?'
Girl: 'Well, err hmmm, let me call the helpdesk..... Well, the good news is there is a seat held for you but it doesn't seem to have been paid for.'
Me: 'I have this confirmation with a booking reference, surely I couldn't have that if it hasn't been paid for?'
Girl: 'Well technically yes, but let me call the helpdesk again and also speak to my supervisor.'
Me: (thinking calm thoughts) 'I'll call my husband to see if he knows what could have happened.'
Meanwhile at the desk next door a brassy type of woman is also checking in and telling anyone who will listen that she has had to postpone this trip of hers to Europe because her daughter "Darn well went and got the Swine Flu"....but she's not contagious anymore apparently. From the looks from everyone around us it was obvious we were all having the same thought - Yes, BUT YOU MIGHT BE! She checked in and all the staff reached for the hand sanitiser and aerosol sprayed the air around themselves!!
Girl: 'If you want to catch this flight you are going to have to pay today's fare.'
Me: 'Which is how much?'
Girl: $1800
Me: 'HOW MUCH?'
Girl: 'Plus taxes, booking fee and if you pay by credit card there's a surcharge. You have 5 minutes to make a decision and then check-in for this flight will close. If you take the next flight you won't make your connection.'
I call Ian again and again, who is calling and trying to make sense of the travel agent. Eventually I get him and he says to 'just book it and go.' I do. And then I run. I have 5 minutes before the flight goes and oh s*** I'd forgotten about going through security and get stuck behind some moron who is arguing about the fact he has to take his shoes and jumper off - PLEASE! Just take the stuff off and let's get moving. By this time all I can here is "This is the final call for Emma Wilson, FINAL CALL".
But I made it...just. I boarded to the disdainful looks of my fellow passengers and I just wanted to shout "It's not my fault". Thankfully I sink into my seat, close my eyes and take a few deep breaths....and then I hear her... "I had to postpone this trip because my daughter darn well went and got swine flu". On and on she went all the way to New York as the people around her shifted uncomfortably in their seats. I'm thinking.... Just. Shut. Up. Because if you don't there will be alot of people sticking needles in an effigy of you if they get as much as a sore throat.
We land in New York and I call Ian to find out what's happened...turns out that the travel agent he used doesn't accept credit card payments for international travel - have you ever heard of anything so ridiculous? And did they think to call and tell him that...of course they didn't because that would have been too much like customer service. So my $700 fare finally equated to $1980.
I board my Birmingham bound flight to find that my very expensive seat is over the wing and doesn't recline....yeah, nothing quite like a night time Trans-Atlantic flight with NO. SLEEP. Then I hear her..."I had to postpone this trip because...blaady blah....daughter....blah blah... Swine flu". Shame you can't carry needles on a flight these days.
On the plus side I had forgotten just how easy travelling without children can be...I read a book, watched 2 3/4 films and didn't get a wink of sleep - the most expensive night without sleep I've ever had.
A week or so ago I took a short trip back to England for a few days. I had a new nephew to meet and a good friends Hen weekend to celebrate.
A few days before I left Ian, who had been diligently watching the air fare prices announced he'd booked my ticket and handed me all the confirmation paperwork for my trip. Raleigh Durham - Newark - Birmingham and back. I was all set.
On departure day I was all packed and ready, we picked up Luke from nursery and headed to the airport. I went to check-in and presented my ticket and documents and the girl at the desk starting tapping away at her computer. She tapped and she tapped whilst all those checking in around me came and went. I began to have that sinking feeling.
Me: 'Is there a problem?'
Girl: 'Well, err hmmm, let me call the helpdesk..... Well, the good news is there is a seat held for you but it doesn't seem to have been paid for.'
Me: 'I have this confirmation with a booking reference, surely I couldn't have that if it hasn't been paid for?'
Girl: 'Well technically yes, but let me call the helpdesk again and also speak to my supervisor.'
Me: (thinking calm thoughts) 'I'll call my husband to see if he knows what could have happened.'
Meanwhile at the desk next door a brassy type of woman is also checking in and telling anyone who will listen that she has had to postpone this trip of hers to Europe because her daughter "Darn well went and got the Swine Flu"....but she's not contagious anymore apparently. From the looks from everyone around us it was obvious we were all having the same thought - Yes, BUT YOU MIGHT BE! She checked in and all the staff reached for the hand sanitiser and aerosol sprayed the air around themselves!!
Girl: 'If you want to catch this flight you are going to have to pay today's fare.'
Me: 'Which is how much?'
Girl: $1800
Me: 'HOW MUCH?'
Girl: 'Plus taxes, booking fee and if you pay by credit card there's a surcharge. You have 5 minutes to make a decision and then check-in for this flight will close. If you take the next flight you won't make your connection.'
I call Ian again and again, who is calling and trying to make sense of the travel agent. Eventually I get him and he says to 'just book it and go.' I do. And then I run. I have 5 minutes before the flight goes and oh s*** I'd forgotten about going through security and get stuck behind some moron who is arguing about the fact he has to take his shoes and jumper off - PLEASE! Just take the stuff off and let's get moving. By this time all I can here is "This is the final call for Emma Wilson, FINAL CALL".
But I made it...just. I boarded to the disdainful looks of my fellow passengers and I just wanted to shout "It's not my fault". Thankfully I sink into my seat, close my eyes and take a few deep breaths....and then I hear her... "I had to postpone this trip because my daughter darn well went and got swine flu". On and on she went all the way to New York as the people around her shifted uncomfortably in their seats. I'm thinking.... Just. Shut. Up. Because if you don't there will be alot of people sticking needles in an effigy of you if they get as much as a sore throat.
We land in New York and I call Ian to find out what's happened...turns out that the travel agent he used doesn't accept credit card payments for international travel - have you ever heard of anything so ridiculous? And did they think to call and tell him that...of course they didn't because that would have been too much like customer service. So my $700 fare finally equated to $1980.
I board my Birmingham bound flight to find that my very expensive seat is over the wing and doesn't recline....yeah, nothing quite like a night time Trans-Atlantic flight with NO. SLEEP. Then I hear her..."I had to postpone this trip because...blaady blah....daughter....blah blah... Swine flu". Shame you can't carry needles on a flight these days.
On the plus side I had forgotten just how easy travelling without children can be...I read a book, watched 2 3/4 films and didn't get a wink of sleep - the most expensive night without sleep I've ever had.
Monday 12 October 2009
Vorsprung Durch Customer Service?
Vorsprung Durch Technic - apparently German for Progress Through Technology and the infamous strap line for Audi. I hope that they are progressing through technology because over here they are definitely not progressing through customer service. Here's a little synopsis of our 'Audi' experience...
Ian finally got his social security number, his first one never did turn up and he had to re-apply and that process was further complicated by the fact that he'd travelled back to the UK in the meantime and wasn't showing again on the immigration lists, he still doesn't have the card but he was given a number which finally enabled us to get our cars.
I've never had a 'new' car and by that I mean a shiny, sparkly, never been driven, straight from the showroom car. Always let some other mug take the financial hit I was told. We have to purchase/lease cars here, unlike India cars and drivers are not part of the package (damn it...I mean...what a shame!) We also found it was better to purchase before we got here via a company called International Autosourcing. This way you benefit from a tax incentive but your choice of car is limited, but you can use your UK credit rating/history - a good thing - because having been here for such a short time that's something else we don't have.
There is an Audi dealership about 5 miles away from our house and that's where I thought we'd be going to collect the cars. But oh no. Audi delivers to International Autosourcing who then deliver it to a dealer, only they've fallen out of love with our local dealer so they deliver them to Greensboro about 2 hours away. Not far really but it took a couple of hours worth of phone calls to change the car hire drop off location and around $150 in penalties! Grrrr!
We arrived at the dealership, did the paperwork and I asked who would be 'handing over' the cars and showing us....OK read 'me'...all the ins/outs/gadgets. The girl doing the paperwork looks a little embarrassed as she explains that no-one, nobody will be doing this as it is 'technically' not one of their sales, it's just a handover. Hmmm is it? We've bought 2 cars, spent alot of money, tickled the American economy and Audi's sales books in troubled times....can none of the idle coffee swilling, thumb twiddling sales staff sitting around here spare us a few minutes? Apparently not.
Ian's car is sitting outside ready and he's quietly having kittens and chomping at the bit because he realises that his car is actually a better model than he ordered and keeps disappearing outside to marvel at the fact. Mine, they tell is on it's way from the workshop. Hello? They did know what time we were coming and the cars were delivered to them a week ago. Meanwhile the kids are running around and playing with a little soft ball which doesn't amuse the snooty manager who thinks it pertinent to point out that one of the cars in the showroom is worth $150,000 and he doesn't like the idea of fingerprints on it. I'll just send them out into the car park by the busy highway then shall I?
Eventually they bring my car round and it looks luuvvelly...wait a minute...apart from the scratches on the door, the wing, the bonnet. The sticky shipping tape residue on the doors, the boot and wing mirrors. This car had obviously not even been given a cursory glance over. At which point we did finally get some attention - a man with a cloth and some kind of T-Cutt stuff to polish out the scratches and some luke warm soapy water to remove the sticky stuff. Except he missed a bit.
Almost done here we thought! We changed the kids car seats over into my car, strapped them in and we were almost, nearly, just about to drive off to return one hire car. I reverse out. The car stops. It isn't going anywhere anytime soon because there is no fuel in it and it appears the keys to the hire car have gone missing. After several dialogue exchanges with various people eventually a nice man with a Jerry can arrives and dribbles a few drops of the hard stuff into my tank. "Hopefully that'll get you to the nearest fuel station half a mile a way". Gee thanks mate you really know how to help a girl out!
We get talking and it turns out that the nice man with the Jerry can has been to Chester and Wales (that'll impress some people that I know!), had a lovely time in Wales and thinks it is terrible that nobody is helping us nice English people out...so bless his cottons he helps firstly in the half hour search for the missing keys and then proceeds to do a little of the sort of 'handover' I'd been hoping for! Now I can almost work everything. Finally we limped off their forecourt in search of some juice to get us back home.
One thing of great value he did tell us, which neither of us knew....is that you should never use cruise control in wet weather - he spoke from experience and a lucky escape.
So as you can probably tell the whole day was not the 'Audi experience' we expected, but we did meet a very nice man who has been to, and had a nice time in Wales.
Ian finally got his social security number, his first one never did turn up and he had to re-apply and that process was further complicated by the fact that he'd travelled back to the UK in the meantime and wasn't showing again on the immigration lists, he still doesn't have the card but he was given a number which finally enabled us to get our cars.
I've never had a 'new' car and by that I mean a shiny, sparkly, never been driven, straight from the showroom car. Always let some other mug take the financial hit I was told. We have to purchase/lease cars here, unlike India cars and drivers are not part of the package (damn it...I mean...what a shame!) We also found it was better to purchase before we got here via a company called International Autosourcing. This way you benefit from a tax incentive but your choice of car is limited, but you can use your UK credit rating/history - a good thing - because having been here for such a short time that's something else we don't have.
There is an Audi dealership about 5 miles away from our house and that's where I thought we'd be going to collect the cars. But oh no. Audi delivers to International Autosourcing who then deliver it to a dealer, only they've fallen out of love with our local dealer so they deliver them to Greensboro about 2 hours away. Not far really but it took a couple of hours worth of phone calls to change the car hire drop off location and around $150 in penalties! Grrrr!
We arrived at the dealership, did the paperwork and I asked who would be 'handing over' the cars and showing us....OK read 'me'...all the ins/outs/gadgets. The girl doing the paperwork looks a little embarrassed as she explains that no-one, nobody will be doing this as it is 'technically' not one of their sales, it's just a handover. Hmmm is it? We've bought 2 cars, spent alot of money, tickled the American economy and Audi's sales books in troubled times....can none of the idle coffee swilling, thumb twiddling sales staff sitting around here spare us a few minutes? Apparently not.
Ian's car is sitting outside ready and he's quietly having kittens and chomping at the bit because he realises that his car is actually a better model than he ordered and keeps disappearing outside to marvel at the fact. Mine, they tell is on it's way from the workshop. Hello? They did know what time we were coming and the cars were delivered to them a week ago. Meanwhile the kids are running around and playing with a little soft ball which doesn't amuse the snooty manager who thinks it pertinent to point out that one of the cars in the showroom is worth $150,000 and he doesn't like the idea of fingerprints on it. I'll just send them out into the car park by the busy highway then shall I?
Eventually they bring my car round and it looks luuvvelly...wait a minute...apart from the scratches on the door, the wing, the bonnet. The sticky shipping tape residue on the doors, the boot and wing mirrors. This car had obviously not even been given a cursory glance over. At which point we did finally get some attention - a man with a cloth and some kind of T-Cutt stuff to polish out the scratches and some luke warm soapy water to remove the sticky stuff. Except he missed a bit.
Almost done here we thought! We changed the kids car seats over into my car, strapped them in and we were almost, nearly, just about to drive off to return one hire car. I reverse out. The car stops. It isn't going anywhere anytime soon because there is no fuel in it and it appears the keys to the hire car have gone missing. After several dialogue exchanges with various people eventually a nice man with a Jerry can arrives and dribbles a few drops of the hard stuff into my tank. "Hopefully that'll get you to the nearest fuel station half a mile a way". Gee thanks mate you really know how to help a girl out!
We get talking and it turns out that the nice man with the Jerry can has been to Chester and Wales (that'll impress some people that I know!), had a lovely time in Wales and thinks it is terrible that nobody is helping us nice English people out...so bless his cottons he helps firstly in the half hour search for the missing keys and then proceeds to do a little of the sort of 'handover' I'd been hoping for! Now I can almost work everything. Finally we limped off their forecourt in search of some juice to get us back home.
One thing of great value he did tell us, which neither of us knew....is that you should never use cruise control in wet weather - he spoke from experience and a lucky escape.
So as you can probably tell the whole day was not the 'Audi experience' we expected, but we did meet a very nice man who has been to, and had a nice time in Wales.
Tuesday 6 October 2009
Going Downtown
Here are some photos I took at the weekend of our local 'Downtown'.
I say local because this is our town 'address' however all the town boundaries here seem very vague and I reckon the cities of Cary and Raleigh are closer...having said that Apex is much much prettier...and you can WALK around it!
It feels very old and 'Southern' and 'film set-ish' I kept thinking Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, which I know was set in Alabama --but you get the picture?
I say local because this is our town 'address' however all the town boundaries here seem very vague and I reckon the cities of Cary and Raleigh are closer...having said that Apex is much much prettier...and you can WALK around it!
It feels very old and 'Southern' and 'film set-ish' I kept thinking Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, which I know was set in Alabama --but you get the picture?
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Princess for a Day
Our little girl has turned FIVE! How did that happen?!
The first birthday of mine that I can clearly recall was my Fifth so I was hopeful that I could make Ellie's 'One to Remember'. Problem was that we were in a new country with a topsy turvey house and not alot of time to get organised...I hope we pulled it off!
One afternoon with not alot of time to go I stumbled upon http://www.grandmasprincess.com/ and Ellie's princess tea party was organised! All the girls had a wondreful time and it was a magical afternoon for them all (and us!)
The first birthday of mine that I can clearly recall was my Fifth so I was hopeful that I could make Ellie's 'One to Remember'. Problem was that we were in a new country with a topsy turvey house and not alot of time to get organised...I hope we pulled it off!
One afternoon with not alot of time to go I stumbled upon http://www.grandmasprincess.com/ and Ellie's princess tea party was organised! All the girls had a wondreful time and it was a magical afternoon for them all (and us!)
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Thursday 1 October 2009
What's This? Where the Hell Is That?
As the trauma of yet another move subsides and we thankfully slip back into some kind of domestic peace and normality, (We think we're quite normal even if you don't!) you begin to remember things that you once had and wonder where on earth they could be? You also wonder how some things managed to even get packed into your boxes and shipped in the first place.
What's This? Several open bags of assorted and now spilt spices and some lentils? - I know I said 'bin them'. Ahem... A couple of mosquitos - I kid you not - alive and kicking, how on earth did those little devils stow away and make it all this way? It won't be long until they rule the earth. Being the ace mosquito swatter that I now am they will not be introducing malaria or dengue into North Carolina anytime soon. One rollerskate? Assorted useless plastic containers? probably from take-aways - didn't even know we had them, the containers that is, why were they kept? One set of completely battered and trashed, and I mean trashed saucepans and cooking utensils? A couple of half depleted plug-in mosquito repellants? And....3 toilet brushes and 8 rolls of Indian toilet paper???...thanks packers - but NO thanks! I can now buy Andrex and Charmin - no more 1-ply for us!
Where the Hell is? Framed hand prints of both the children aged 3 years and 6 months? The huge spotty plastic tablecloth which protected our dining room table so well? ALL of Luke's farm animals which I clearly remember packing into a plastic box and asking the packers to pack with the farm? The farm made it, the animals didn't? I know we had more books than we've ended up with and there are photographs missing? Every single pillow protector that we owned? Some bed sheets? There are several empty DVD cases? Our bank card reader that enabled us to make UK payments from overseas? Useless without the cards - we hope!
What was Damaged? Several picture frames, an occasional table - top split clean in half. My dressing table - top split almost in half. Kids play kitchen - stuffed in a box and in stood on to make it fit, fell apart this end. Ellie's dolls pram. One pouffe/foot stool, knackered, probably jumped on!
At the end of the day most of it doesn't even matter because 'things' can be replaced. Moments in time like handprints and photographs can't - fingers crossed they turn up.
What's This? Several open bags of assorted and now spilt spices and some lentils? - I know I said 'bin them'. Ahem... A couple of mosquitos - I kid you not - alive and kicking, how on earth did those little devils stow away and make it all this way? It won't be long until they rule the earth. Being the ace mosquito swatter that I now am they will not be introducing malaria or dengue into North Carolina anytime soon. One rollerskate? Assorted useless plastic containers? probably from take-aways - didn't even know we had them, the containers that is, why were they kept? One set of completely battered and trashed, and I mean trashed saucepans and cooking utensils? A couple of half depleted plug-in mosquito repellants? And....3 toilet brushes and 8 rolls of Indian toilet paper???...thanks packers - but NO thanks! I can now buy Andrex and Charmin - no more 1-ply for us!
Where the Hell is? Framed hand prints of both the children aged 3 years and 6 months? The huge spotty plastic tablecloth which protected our dining room table so well? ALL of Luke's farm animals which I clearly remember packing into a plastic box and asking the packers to pack with the farm? The farm made it, the animals didn't? I know we had more books than we've ended up with and there are photographs missing? Every single pillow protector that we owned? Some bed sheets? There are several empty DVD cases? Our bank card reader that enabled us to make UK payments from overseas? Useless without the cards - we hope!
What was Damaged? Several picture frames, an occasional table - top split clean in half. My dressing table - top split almost in half. Kids play kitchen - stuffed in a box and in stood on to make it fit, fell apart this end. Ellie's dolls pram. One pouffe/foot stool, knackered, probably jumped on!
At the end of the day most of it doesn't even matter because 'things' can be replaced. Moments in time like handprints and photographs can't - fingers crossed they turn up.
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